ASTANA – This year marks the 30th anniversary of Project Sapphire. This landmark operation took place in 1994 and involved removing 600 kilograms of highly enriched uranium (HEU) from a vulnerable site in Ust-Kamenogorsk.
Weapons grade uranium is loaded on a USAF C-5 aircraft to be transported to the US. Photo credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan
According to the U.S. Embassy to Kazakhstan, this material, left from the Soviet-era nuclear program and vulnerable to theft, was discovered through United States diplomatic engagement after the Soviet Union’s collapse. Transporting the material to the United States, the operation significantly reduced the global threat of nuclear proliferation. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton declassified this first-of-its-kind operation and announced it to the world on Nov. 23, 1994.
Project Sapphire exemplifies the enduring U.S.-Kazakhstan strategic partnership, particularly in nuclear security.
As the first nation to recognize Kazakhstan’s independence on Dec. 25, 1991, the United States has prioritized this relationship, with nonproliferation cooperation as a cornerstone. This operation demonstrated the power of collaboration to address global security challenges, fostering deep trust between countries and foreshadowing the future success of related activities under the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program.
“Project Sapphire serves as a powerful reminder that diplomacy can yield tangible results that directly enhance global security. Through sustained engagement and cooperation, we can achieve meaningful progress in preventing nuclear proliferation and securing vulnerable nuclear materials,” said Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation C.S. Eliot Kang.
According to Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Rebecca Hersman, cooperative efforts alongside Kazakhstan today – whether training and equipping nuclear security stakeholders or securing the former Semipalatinsk Test Site – can all in part trace their lineage to Project Sapphire.
“We will continue to draw strength from our time-tested relationships in support of our shared threat reduction mission,” said Hersman.
The HEU was transported on three C-5 aircraft to the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) downblended it under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards to low-enriched uranium for civilian use.
“Thirty years after Project Sapphire, NNSA continues to provide our technical expertise and support partnerships to promote regional and global nuclear security, including removal of excess weapons-usable material. Since the completion of this landmark
operation, we have worked with Kazakhstan to remove or down blend an additional 210 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, and look forward to strengthening our partnership,” said DOE Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby.
The legacy of Project Sapphire inspires continued efforts to promote a safer and more secure world. The United States remains steadfast in its commitment to work with Kazakhstan and other partners to strengthen the global nuclear nonproliferation regime.
Preventing the spread of nuclear weapons is not just a national security imperative but a shared global responsibility. By working together to reduce these threats, the countries enhance collective security and promote a more stable and prosperous world for all nations.
In April, The Astana Times interviewed Andy Weber, a senior fellow at the Council on Strategic Risks’ Janne E. Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons, who took part in Project Sapphire and personally witnessed Kazakhstan’s initial steps towards a future without nuclear arms. The interview is also available on YouTube.
